The subject invention relates to a tail which is used to attach the trailing edge of tape from one roll to the leading edge of tape from another roll and to a method of using this tail to join rolls of tape together.
There are numerous applications where a continuous supply of tape material must be provided. When this occurs there needs to be a way of attaching the trailing edge of one roll of tape to the leading edge of another roll of tape without interrupting the feeding of the tape. This can be accomplished by placing a mechanical fastening device on the tape or by adhesively joining the two tapes together. An example of the latter is the system disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/398,153, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,324. Here the trailing edge of the tape on each roll is wrapped around a plate to provide an end piece which is thicker than the remainder of the tape. The leading edge of the tape on each roll has an adhesive coating applied to it. The leading edges of both rolls are then fed into a splicer block having a pair of spaced-apart pincher rollers which are separated by a distance which is greater than the thickness of two pieces of tape, but less than the thickness of one piece of tape and the end piece. Thus, when the tape from one of the rolls is pulled through the splicer block, as the tailing end of that roll passes through the pincher rollers the end piece is squeezed against the adhesive at the leading edge of the tape from the other roll, and the two pieces of tape are joined. While simple and inexpensive, this system does not always cause the two pieces of tape to be joined. Because the adhesive is exposed during the entire time the preceding roll of tape is being unwound, it can collect dust and other contaminants and become less adherent. In addition, in order for the adhesive to even be squeezed against the end piece it must be located precisely between the pincher rollers. If the operator does not do this correctly or if the moving tape drags the non-moving tape out of the pincher rollers the rolls will not be joined. In addition, the second roll can only be installed on the device which rotatively carries it in one direction in order that the adhesive side of the tape is facing the moving tape. If adhesive is put on both sides of the tape to make it reversible, the adhesive on the other side may very well stick to the pincher rollers enough that the short period of time the adhesive is exposed to the moving tape may not be enough to release it.
The subject invention overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art by providing a bulge in a tail that is attached to the trailing edge of the tape on each roll. This bulge has an adhesive coating on both sides. Protective elements are located on the tail on each side of the bulge in a manner that one of the protective elements covers the adhesive coating on each side of the bulge. As a result, when the tail is rolled onto a roll core the adhesive coating is protected by the protective element and will not stick to the roll core or to adjacent layers of the tail or tape. The protective element is configured such that it readily parts from the adhesive coating when the tail is unwound from the roll core.
In addition the leading edge of the tape from the second roll is wrapped around the tape from the first roll to form a loose knot. When the leading edge of the tape from the second roll is adhered to the adhesive on the bulge on the tail on the trailing edge of the second roll the knot is tightened so that the second roll becomes tied to the first roll as well.
In another embodiment the frame defines a pathway along which the tape travels. A pair of arms are rotatably attached to the frame, one on each side of the pathway. The extremities of the arms have outwardly projecting posts. The arms are movable between a first position where the posts are closer to the pathway and a second position where the posts are further from the pathway. The arms are normally biased to the second position. A catch mechanism holds the arms in the first position and can be released by a release mechanism to allow the arms to rotate back to the first position. The release mechanism releases the catches when a portion of the tape having a release indicia passes through the pathway. In operation, tape from a first roll is fed through the device. The leading edge of tape from a second roll is tied to the post on one of the arms, is looped around the first tape and passed back through the loop to form a loose knot around the first tape and then is tied to the post on the other arm. When the identifying indicia in the tail of the first tape passes through the pathway it causes the release mechanism to release the catch mechanism. The arms then rotate to the second position which tightens the loose knot in the second tape tightly onto the first tape. Continued movement of the first tape causes the knots in the second tape to pull off of the posts and the second tape is attached to the first tape.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.